Valve-rotator for internal-combustion engines



W.G. BUCK. VALVE ROTATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1a, 1918.

1,359,669. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

- UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

WILMER G. BUCK, 0F FREMONT, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTALENGINEERr- ING- CORPORATION, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

VALVE-ROTATOR FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed March 13, 1918. Serial No. 222,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILMER G. BUCK, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Rotators for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement in valve rotator mechanisms of the character shown and described in United States Patent No. 1,183,852 granted May 23, 1916, to me, for valves for gas engines, and United States Patent No. 1,24%,287 granted to me October 23, 1917, for valves for internal combustion engines.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective means for automatically lubricating the rotating mechanism without altering in any material respect the component parts thereof or in creasing to any appreciable extent the cost of production.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of an engine showing the mechanism of the present invention in operative position;

Fig. 2, a cross section through the rotator mechanism; and

Fig. 3, a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the art to which the present invention relates, it has been found necessary to keep certain moving parts of these valve rotator mechanisms in a lubricated condition, and owing to their position, which does not render themreadily accessible, it is not practical to oil them by hand at intervals. The oiling thereof must take place automatically with the running of the engine. I have found that by a very simple means an automatic lubrication can be effected.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, a portion is therein shown of an engine casing designated by the numeral 4;. Within said casing is the usual crank shaft (not shown) actuated by the usual piston rods 5. This crank shaft runs in oil and in accordance with the well known spl asher system of lubrication forces oil through an opening 6 from the 'crankzchamher into a valve chamber 7, within which barrel and lubrlcates the spiral threads and 110 extends the valve mechanism. The valves 8 each have a stem 9 which extends through a Specification of Letters. Patent. Patented Now; 23, 1920 valve sleeve or guide 10. In the construction shown, this sleeve or guide is cast integral with a portion of the casing.

Extending directly below the valve guide 10 1s a rotator mechanism, which consists of an exterior spirally threaded sleeve 11, having thereon a clutch surface 12, with which cooperates a clutch 13 afiixed to the valve stem, the sleeve 11 and clutch 12 being loose with respect to said stem. The spiral sleeve travels within a barrel 14 having an interior spiral thread 15, with which the threads on the sleeve 11 mesh. This barrel terminates in an outwardly extending flange 16 on its upper end, and it is held in position by a lug l7 extending-from the 15, give apartial rotative movement to'the valve. This mechanism and its operation are fully described in the previously mentioned patents and no further description is deemed necessary in the present case.

Tt was found necessary to provide some means for lubricating the spiral threads of the rotator device, but owing to the fact that said device was in certain instances inclosed in the engine casing, and therefore not readily accessible for periodical oiling by hand, the oiling means must be automatic in its nature and oil supplied as the engine .is operated. The oil coming through the passage 6 into the valve chamber 7 is vaporized bythe heat ,of said chamber and collects around the exterior of the valve guide .10. When sufiicient of the vaporized oil has thus accumulated, it will run down the outside of said guide and into cate with the interior of the barrel 14, and thusoil is sup lied to the interior of said any desired number and which communiother parts of the rotator in the necessary manner. By this simple arrangement, a very important feature is added to the r0- tator device, and this is done without increasing the number of parts of the device or, to any appreciable extent, its cost of production. The oiling will be entirely automatic in nature and will continue to take place while the engine is operating.

Although the device has been described with considerable particularity, the invention is not deemed to be limited other than may be by the terms of the appended claims. I

ll claim 1. An internal combustion engine having puppet valves, with rotators connected with the stems for rotating the same, said rotators being arranged within achamber adapted to be filled with oil vapor, an oil collecting member arranged above the rotator,

and means for catching the oil from said 3'. An internal combustion engine having a crank chamber, an auxiliary valve chamber, passageways leading from the crank chamber to the valve chamber for admitting vaporized oil to said valve chamber, combined valve guides and oil collecting devices arranged in the top of the chamber, valve stems projecting through said guides, rotators arranged below the guides for rotating the valve stems-said rotators being provided with flanges at their upper ends with grooves therein for receiving oil collected by said guides, said flanges also having passageways for directing the oil to the rotator. Y

1-. An internal combustion engine having puppet valves, with rotators connected with the stems for rotating the same, said rotators being arranged within a chamber adapted to be filled with oil vapor, an oil condensing member arranged above the rotator, and means for directing the oil from said condensing member to the rotator tor lubricating the same.

5. An internal combustion engine having puppet valves, withrotators connected with the stems for rotating the same, said rotators being arranged within a chamber adapted to be filled with oil vapor, an oil condensing member arranged above the rotator, a laterally extending flange arranged beneath the condensing member for catching the oil from said member and directing it to the rotator for lubricating the same.

WILMER G. BUCK. 

